Australians lose $25 billion on legal forms of gambling annually. These are the largest per capita losses worldwide, according to recent government estimates. Dean Sandy Grant of St Andrew’s Cathedral wants to see urgent action taken to minimise harm.
Along with the Rev David Yung, rector of St Paul’s, Kogarah, he moved two motions at Synod calling for NSW poker machine reform and national online gambling reform – urging Federal and State governments to implement harm reduction measures in both spaces.
“Consistent with the last few years, Synod agreed to call both the State parliament and the Federal Government to implement meaningful harm reduction reforms on the poker machines at the state level and on the advertising and marketing of sports betting on the television and streaming services,” Dean Grant said.
“Online gambling is the most rapidly rising form of gambling in Australia. The advertising and marketing normalises it to our children and our vulnerable people. It’s got many features that are almost as addictive as the poker machines and that’s why we need reform at state level and federal level.”
Dean Grant, in a conversation with the Rev Michael Duckett, who leads the Macarthur Indigenous Church, also discussed the impact gambling has on the Indigenous community.
“It’s a disaster,” Mr Duckett said. “Any gambling source, [my people think] hopefully they can make a win. They will do that when they haven’t got any money; they’re still hoping to make some money. All I see on TV is ads. I can’t even watch football without seeing ads. And they finish by saying, ‘Gamble wisely’. Well, don’t gamble – that’s the wise thing you can say.”
Dean Grant urges all Christians to take action by writing to their local members of parliament.
“[Write to] State level about the pokies and Federal level about online advertising of gambling because it’s a bipartisan issue,” he said. “We need both Liberal and Labor, and Green and teal, whatever they are, to keep the pressure on for the best possible reforms. It’s like putting airbags on pokies and seatbelts on sports betting.”
